'I was in autopilot mode': Charlotte's realisation after paying $200 deposit on dress
By Jo Abi|
Charlotte Reimer had used Facebook Marketplace many times without incident when she spotted a designer dress she wanted to buy for an upcoming event.
"?I bought a lot of second-hand clothes and sold furniture," Reimer, 25, tells 9honey.
It was 2022 and Reimer admits it "didn't even enter my consciousness to be vigilant."
"Then I messaged someone about a dress and it looked legitimate," she says.
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"I paid a deposit because it was an expensive designer dress, $200 to hold the dress."
Once the deposit was paid via bank transfer, the listing was deleted and the seller's Facebook profile disappeared.
?At the time it "wasn't an insubstantial amount" for the young woman, who admits she under a lot of stress at the time or she may have noticed something amiss.
"I was in autopilot mode," she says.
Because she'd transferred the money in between accounts, she wasn't able to recoup the money. Had she paid for it using a credit card, she could have taken action.
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"Credit card fraud teams are really good, but there isn't usually that payment mechanism on Facebook Marketplace," she says.
"I felt very naive afterwards because I usually thought people were honest, but from researching and then finding out more about the person's profile, they were based in Eastern Europe and it was a fake profile.
"I did a reverse IP search to work everything out. They weren't even Australian-based, that was something I'd never even come across."
?Reimer still uses Facebook Marketplace but more cautiously.
"I use cash on pick up only," she says.
Since 2022 Reimer recognises scam accounts are more prevalent with her friends sharing their own stories of having been taken advantage of.
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?"I've heard stories of other people my age similarly going through things," she says. "There's more awareness of the different methods that are now being used more frequently now.
"?It's definitely sad but like I feel like it was almost a bit of a utopia," she says.
"People were scammed before, but to me it was always very rare."
And she has seen people warning each other about suspect accounts which has helped protect others from similar fates.
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?"I see a lot of in those Facebook groups, people will be like, 'I won't buy from this person, they're fake."
New research by ING Australia shows millennials are more open when it comes to discussing scams and sharing information with each other, as well as seeking advice.
The bank has dubbed them "scambassadors" with millennials the most confident when it comes to helping identify and avoid scams.?
Michelle* ?lost $400 from a scammer who accessed her bank account and help themselves to the amount before her bank quickly locked it.
"I received a text message which said my card had been locked because there was suspicious activity," she says.?
"I checked my online banking app to see if $400 was taken, and it had."
She contacted her bank who informed her the scammer had "tried three times to take $400 out, they were successful once."
The bank immediately started the process to reimburse her.
She still doesn't know how they accessed her account in the first place.?
Michelle now keeps a closer eye on her account to watch out for suspicious activity.
"I've been checking quite a bit now," she tells 9honey.
*Not her real name
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